Bluegrass 101

Bluegrass Artists: Bill Monroe has been credited with being the "Grandfather of Bluegrass." Earl Scruggs was one of his bandmates who went on to become somewhat of a living legend. These days, the Bluegrass resurgence can be credited to the Del McCoury Band. And there are newer, younger folks like Alison Krauss & Union Station, and Open Road who continue to innovate the genre.

Bluegrasss Instruments of Choice: The classic bluegrass lineup consists of fiddle, banjo, mandolin, acoustic guitar and bass. Flatt & Scruggs added the dobro in the 1950s. These days Newgrass bands include drums and occasionally electric guitar as well.

Starter CDs: Bill Monroe - Essential Bill Monroe (Sony, 1992). Flatt & Scruggs - Foggy Mountain Jamboree (Legacy Recordings, 1957). Del McCoury Band - It's Just The Night (McCoury Music, 2003).

Brief History of American Bluegrass Music: In the early 20th century, Country music enjoyed popularity as Country singers brought their craft to the cities. Country music was characterized by two or three-part harmonies sung over acoustic instruments.

In the ‘20s, The Monroe Brothers rose to popularity with Charlie Monroe on guitar and his brother Bill on mandolin. Finally in 1938, the brothers split to form separate bands. Having hailed from Kentucky (the “Blue Grass State”), Bill named his band Bill Monroe & the Blue Grass Boys. This original band implemented elements of Gospel, work songs, Folk, Country, and Blues, and showcased various types of vocal harmonies. They experimented with many acoustic instruments, but eventually settled on guitar, bass, fiddle, mandolin and banjo. By the '50s, Bluegrass had begun enjoying extensive popularity, and Bill Monroe was considered the father of the genre.

Soon a banjo player named Earl Scruggs joined the band. Scruggs developed an innovative three-finger picking style that eventually became known simply as Scruggs Style. In 1948, Scruggs left the band to join with fellow Blue Grass Boy guitarist Lester Flatt. They called their band The Foggy Mountain Boys; while they used the same style of music on the same instruments as the Bluegrass Boys, they added dobro to the lineup. Flatt & Scruggs spent the next 14 years bringing Bluegrass Music to television shows and coliseums.

In 1969, Flatt & Scruggs parted ways, and Earl developed a band with his sons called The Earl Scruggs Review. Lester Flatt’s new band, The Nashville Grass, enjoyed popularity until just before Flatt’s death in 1979.

Now, nearly a century after its incarnation, Bluegrass has evolved so far it’s even being played by rock bands, or Newgrass bands, as they’re called. Bands like Nickel Creek and Open Road continue to innovate the genre and draw younger audiences to the festivals; while true blue legends like Earl Scruggs are still going strong.